Dolls and toy plush figures such as puppies or the like are well known in the art and have been provided in a virtually endless variety. In attempting to provide evermore interesting and amusing doll and toy figure products, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide various features and operative mechanisms therein. Thus, dolls have for example been provided having moving mouths, moving eyes, sound production and other features. Similarly, plush figures such as dogs or the like have been provided with operative mechanisms for moving their tongues, moving their eyes or making sound. In addition, practitioners in the toy arts have endeavored to provide interactive capability or cooperative action between dolls and toy figures.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,877 issued to Perkitny sets forth an APPARATUS FOR SIMULATING A LICKING MOTION having a tongue disposed within an animal-shaped housing. The tongue is pivotally connected at one end to a main gear wheel and extends partially through an aperture in the housing. A motor and gear mechanism engage and rotate the main gear in response to a control assembly. As the main gear rotates, the tongue moves within the aperture at varying angles to simulate licking motion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,673 issued to Stadbauer sets forth a MECHANICAL ANIMAL REPRODUCTION configured to resemble a dog having a head. A tongue extends through an opening in the dog head which is coupled to a drive apparatus for moving the tongue toward or away from the head to simulate “lapping” motion.
In a related art area in which magnetic elements are used in cooperation with toy figures and toy animal figures, U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,786 issued to Greenblatt sets forth a MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED ANIMATED TOY in which an animal body such as a toy dog incorporates a magnetic control to enhance the toy. As a result, the dog is able to participate in toy activities rather than remaining passive.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,401,485 issued to Goodrum, Jr. sets forth a MAGNETICALLY ACTIVE TOY DOG having a pair of articulated forelegs hinged to the dog body and a separate piece simulating a bone having a magnet therein. A second magnet in the dog's nose interacts with the magnet in the bone causing the dog to sit up and beg in response to the action to the bone as the bone is moved relative to the dog.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,937 issued to Cappello, et al. sets forth a MAGNETICALLY COUPLED TOY APPARATUS having two toy components such as a doll and a nursing bottle. The nursing bottle contains a motor-driven rotating magnet in the nipple portion thereof. A second permanent magnet is mounted in a flexible region around the mouth of the doll. When the nipple containing the rotating magnet is place in proximity with the mouth of the doll, relative motion between the magnets imparts movement to the mouth and lip regions of the doll.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,411,237 issued to Crosman and U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,893 issued to Samo set forth early examples of magnetically interacting doll features.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,887,121 issued to Whitehead; U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,441 issued to Wiggs, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,056,619 also issued to Wiggs, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,938 issued to Meng-suen set forth toy apparatus in which a toy article is moved across a surface under the influence of a moving magnet beneath the surface and a cooperating magnetic element within the toy article.
Published U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2002/0115376 filed in the name of Brian Whitehead sets forth a TOY WITH MOVEMENT MEANS in which a doll is movable upon a play base and is articulated and moved both in response to cooperating magnets within the doll and proximate the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,087 issued to Terzian, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,556 issued Smimov; U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,017 issued to Coomansingh; U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,797 issued to Tsang, et al.; U.S. Pat. No 6,007,404 issued to Trevino; U.S. Pat. No. 5,651,716 issued to Mowrer, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,263 issued to DeCesare, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,492 issued to Berenguer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,820 issued to Nakayama; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,038 issued to Arad, et al. set forth toy apparatus generally related to the subject matter of the present invention.
While the foregoing described toy devices have to some extent improved the toy art and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, amusing and entertaining toy device combinations.